Stress Free Scrapbooking

Do you find it intimidating when you come to journal
your scrapbook pages?

You are not alone! Many scrapbookers
find it hard to get started when it comes to adding
journaling to their scrapbooking layouts.

If you are one of those people
who go blank at the thought of having to journal, don't
worry. Here are some stress-free scrapbooking journaling
ideas to help you write the right words whatever your
page theme.

Make a list. This is a fairly
simple journaling technique that is suitable for use
with any type of page theme, for example:

Doing a friendship page - list
how you met, where you met, how long you have known
each other, include what you like about your friend
and why you are both pals.

Doing a recipe scrapbook page
- then make a personal top 10 list of reasons why you
like Grandma's chocolate cake so much.

Doing a baby layout - do a list
of baby's favorite foods, you can even do one for the
foods they don't like!

A variation of this technique
is to use bullet points to mark each line on your list,
giving you an opportunity to empathise each item of
your journaling:

- Anguilla

- April 2004

- My first trip to the Caribbean

- This is the view from my hotel
balcony overlooking the cove I can't wait to go swimming
the sea looks so nice!

Make sure you have fun experimenting
with all the different kinds of embellishments that
you can use as your bullet points!

Another bonus with using the
list technique is that you do not need to worry about
the structure of your sentences or that your journaling
makes sense because the list breaks down what you want
to say into it's basic readable form.

Write a Letter. This is one of
those great scrapbook journaling ideas that's fairly
simple to do and it's also a lovely, personal way to
journal your layouts too.

All you have to do is pretend
you're writing to a friend telling them what is happening
in your photographs and including the Dear at the beginning
of your writing will give your journaling an intimate
feel.

Sent any emails lately? Like
letters, emails are also a good source of journaling
material that you can use for your layouts.

If you are unsure of your own
journaling then doing it in a letter format could help
your writing flow more easily, as you describe the people
and the events taking place, letting you tell the story
naturally and in your own words.

Ask a question. If you are completely
stuck and cannot think of anything to write this can
be a good quick fix technique to use. Just ask some
simple questions like, What was your favorite part of..or
Did anything funny or embarrassing happen?

This technique can be very effective
when used for a special occasion layout, like a bridal
shower, where you can ask each of the guests to tell
you about their favorite memory of the bride-to-be.

Why not take it a stage further?
Give each shower guest some suitable decorative paper
and let them write down their own memories rather than
journal all of them yourself.

For an extra special touch, you
could get the guests to bring with them their favorite
photo of the bride-to-be. Ask them to journal why they
picked that particular picture and then do a separate
layout for each individual photo.

This is an effective way to make
a wonderful and unique scrapbook that is quick, simple
and full of memorable pieces of journaling that add
a very personal feel to the album.

If you are one of those people
who find it difficult to begin the journaling process
these fun scrapbook journaling ideas will provide you
with some basic tips and techniques to help make it
easier.

So go on, try out the scrapbook
journaling ideas above for yourself and add some stress-free
journaling to your pages... Once you have finished you'll
see that it's been well worth the effort.

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Painting

Drawing

Sculpture

Painting is the practice
of applying pigment suspended in a carrier
(or medium) and a binding agent (a glue)
to a surface (support) such as paper, canvas
or a wall.

Drawing is one of many
ways to making an image; it is the process
of making marks on a surface by applying
pressure from or moving a tool on the surface.
These marks may represent what the artist
sees when drawing, a remembered or imagined
scene or abstraction.

Sculpture is any three-dimensional
form created as an artistic expression.
Sculpture is primarily concerned with space:
occupying it, relating to it, and influencing
the perception of it.